This cute Maritime-themed styled shoot comes from photographer Chantal Routhier in Nova Scotia together with milliner Oh Dina, who made the fascinators. I love the bright colours and modern styling against the classic, historic location!

I received this Memramcook wedding from Moncton photographer Philip Boudreau, and I loved this couple’s style and the classic beauty of their day. What really blew me away, though, was the incredible, glamourous decor for their reception at the Memramcook Institute, and it turns out, it was the bride’s mother who did this wonderful work! Bride Isabelle says:

“My mom works in the wedding industry as a decorator. She had planned the whole thing and all I knew were the colors (black and white). She wanted to keep it a surprise. When I entered the room it was everything I imagined and more. I had been at the venue numerous times before but never seen it look so amazing.”

The first thing people asked us after learning that we’d become engaged — even the very same day — was “when’s the date?” I felt like I was somehow already lagging behind when I’d had exactly zero days to simply enjoy being engaged. Plus when you’re a wedding photographer you can’t just pick a date out of thin air: there are calendars to be consulted, schedules to coordinate. When it came time to decide I had to ask myself: is choosing the date really the first step?

Maybe… but it depends on your priorities. Some couples have a specific date (usually their engagement and/or dating anniversary) that’s really important to them, so they’ll pick that day for the wedding and then let the other pieces fall into place, and plan the rest of their wedding around what’s available on that day. For others, there’s a venue that they want to get married at, so they’ll be in contact with the venue and choose one of the available dates. For me, being a wedding photography, the photography was my priority, so the first thing I did was get in touch with my first choice photographer, and we consulted our schedules together to pick the date!

If you get really lucky, once your #1 choice is locked down, you might get your number #2 as well. For us, after we scored our top choice photographer, we were fortunate that our top choice venue was free on the same weekend. The concession is that our wedding is happening slightly later in the year than I would have preferred, but ultimately, if it’s a few degrees colder out, we’ll just have to rely on love to keep us warm.

To Do:

1. Choose your top wedding priority.
2. Research your options and book the one that best suits you.
3. Smile and move on.

I’m very proud to have work included in the book The New Art of Capturing Love: the Essential Guide to Lesbian & Gay Wedding Photography, published by Amphoto Books. The book was released last Tuesday and is available through Chapters, Amazon, and pretty much anywhere else books are sold, so have a look and buy a copy! It’s a great resource for photographers.

Yesterday morning New Brunswick’s The Daily Gleaner ran a story about poor customer service experiences at Sparkle Bridal Boutique followed a sudden closure of the store, and resulted in a crowd of brides and police gathered outside, looking for answers about the status of their orders. As one of the affected customers, I went to the boutique myself, and I’m afraid I came away not much more informed about what exactly has happened. All the same, anyone who has purchased a dress through Sparkle Bridal Boutique is encouraged to get in touch with them ASAP to find out the status of your order. In happier news, numerous other bridal shops have stepped up to the plate to help:

The Wedding Chapel Bridal Boutique, Oromocto NB
“We’re to help if anyone needs dresses, guidance or HUGS (I’m not joking… this is clearly NOT anything to joke about and lots were given already today!!!) We have LOTS of off the rack gowns, and I ordered 15 more today to add to our sale selection for prom and bridal! We’ve been in business for 19 years this June and service and happy brides means everything to us!!!!!!! 506-357-8184 Erika, Tia, Teresa”

Lockhart’s Weddings & Special Occasions, Sussex NB
“Lockhart’s has been working with suppliers to fulfil many orders for brides, bridesmaids, and prom customers who have been left not knowing the status of their gowns and are making many situations much less stressful. 888-235-7888”

Heavenly Gowns Bridal Boutique & Formal Wear, Saint John NB
“If you have ordered any Alfred Angelo design from the Fredericton bridal boutique that has closed, Heavenly Gowns can bring your order in for you. Please contact us at 506-652-9900 to discuss your options. We have been in contact with the designer and have already made some brides very happy.”

Carousel Bridal, Rothesay NB
“Carousel Bridal has been in contact and dealing with the suppliers, such as…Maggie Sottero, Alfred Angelo and Alyce to fulfil the many orders for brides, bridesmaids, and prom girls. We hope to lessen the stress of this unfortunate situation. Thank you. 506-847-5311.”

Bella Promessa Bridal & Formal Wear, Moncton NB
“We have already been in touch with many suppliers, and have committed to doing everything that we can to assist customers affected by this situation. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your options and see how we (or other stores) may be able to help.”

ACS Formals, Riverview NB
“Give us a call (506) 386-3889. We’re glad to help and there’s always a solution at ACS Formals! We may even be able to ship your dresses in if they were already ordered by that shop, and if they weren’t, there’s still time to order. Ask us about quick delivery dates or in-stock options! XO Amanda and Johan”

I had the privilege of beginning my year with a couple I’ve known since elementary school. Jared & Yolanda had a beautiful and meaningful (and oh-so-cold!) on the anniversary of their engagement, which also happened to be the anniversary of the day Jared first asked Yolanda out.